Key opening container



Jan. 16, 1934. YOUNG 1,943,355

KEY OPENING CONTAINER Filed Jan. 6, 1933 INVENTOR ATTORNE Patented Jan.16, 1934 KEY OPENING CONTAINER.

John M. Young, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignorto American Can Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 6, 1931i.Serial No. 650,379 6 Claims.. -(Cl. 220-52) The present inventionrelates to a key opening can wherein a removable cover is provided uponremoval of the tearing strip by an opening key and has for its purposegenerally to facilitate removal and handling of the cover after it hasbeen detached.

The principal object of the invention -is the provision of a key for akey opening can which is provided with a cover lifting handle secured to16 the cover of the can to hold the keyein place before using and laterto provide a handle to facilitate easy handling of the cover afteropening, the key being broken away from the handle and detached from thecover to effect such openmg.

The invention is of particular value also in connection with key openingcans of the reclosure type (to which the can of the drawing belongs), i.e., cans wherein the cover, after removal of the tearing strip, isadapted for tightor fairly tight engagement with the body to provide aclosure while the contentsare progressively removed for use. The handlepart of the key permits easy opening of the can when the reclosure coveris fitted relatively tightly in place.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a compound keymember which is secured to a can part and which is breakable to releasea key opening part for opening the can and to leave a part as a handlefor a coverof the can.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing; discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can having a tearing strip and acompound opening key to be used in opening the can;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through the toppart of the can substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the opened can showing the coverlifting handle in use;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modifiedform of key and cover; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail of the cover and keyof Fig. 4, being taken substantially along the line 5-5 in that figure.

For the purpose of more clearly illustrating the present invention thereis disclosed in the drawing a preferred form of can comprising a body 11having a bottom or end member 12 which may be secured in any suitablemanner as by a double seam. The opposite end of the can is closed by acover 13 which is preferably provided with a downwardly extending flange14 adapted to engage the upper end of the body in a permanent 6 0connection.

The upper end of the body wall 11 is curled inwardly at 15 and a gasketmaterial 16 is preferably disposed in a groove 1'7 located at thejunction of the flange 14 with the central part of the 66 cover 13. Thispacking orgasket material produces an air-tight joint for the drive fitbetween the cover and the body.

The cover 13 is formed with an annular wall 18 which fits within andengages the inside of the curl 15 of the body 11, the wall 18 beingsubstantially parallel to the flange 14. The wall 18 merges into ahorizontal wall section 19 in which an annular depression or channel 21is located.

The cover flange 14 is out with an encircling score line 22 (Figs. 1 and2) substantially parallel to'the lower edge of the flange, a tearingstrip 23 being thus set off in the flange. A tongue 24 extends down fromthe bottom of the flange Q 14 for engagement by the opening key and thistongue has one side edge curving up to and merging into one edge of thetearing strip as at 25 and an opposite side edge joining the edge of thetearing strip in a sharp corner 26.

The key member, designated by the numeral 31,

'is formed from a wire or round rod of suitable cross section bent atone end to provide the usual looped head indicated as 32 and a shankwhich is flattened at 33 and slotted at 34 for engage- 9 ment with thetongue. The flattened part oi. the key extends beyond the slot 34 and isnotched or weakened at 35.

Beyond the notch the key is secured to the can by spot welding or in anyother suitable manner i5 and beyond the flattened part of the key thekey stock is extended into a cover lifting handle 36 which becomeseffective as a handle when the tearing strip 23 has been removed. InFig. 2 the handle 36 is shown as being spot welded on both 180 sides ofthe channel 21, this being most desirable for a straight key member.

For opening the can the key proper is removed from the cover by liftingof its head 32 so as to break it at its weakened notch 35. This leaves10 the handle extension 36 in place, the welds or other attachment notbeing disturbed. The key is then used to wind off the tearing strip 23and free the cover 13 from its connection with the can.

In doing this the tongue 24 is threaded through the key slot 34 and onturning of the key the metal in the flange 14 beginning at the sharpcorner 26 tears across the tearing strip 23 and thence alongthe scoreline 22, entirely removing the tearing strip.

The handle 36 now becomes effective and greatly facilitates handling ofthe cover at this time by making it more easily removed'orfreplaced andshould the contents of the container adhere to the underside of thecover, the hand would be protected from such contents. This handle 536extends across the annular depression21 andis easily grasped between thethumb andforefinger',

as graphically shown in Fig.3. 7

It will thus be observed that structure before separation into itscomponent parts comprises a compound key member having. one partproviding an opening key and the second part providing a cover liftinghandle. Each part 3 of this compound key unit has its distinct use, bothbeing conveniently retained in place as a unit with the can and neitherbeing operable for the purpose intended until the parts are separatedfrom each other. 1 '1 m5! The cover 13 may be formed with a transversechannel or depression 3'7 (Figs. 4 and 5) for'the reception ofa'slightly different form ofcompound key member. In this cover thecentral surface in which the channel 3'7 is located, is raised above thefloor of the channel presenting'domedsections 38 on opposite sides. l

A compound key member 39is located-within the channel, being suitablysecured to the channel floor by spot welding or in other'suitablemanner. The key member is formed as before from wire or round stock andhas the usual bent or looped head and flattened and slotted shank. Itmay be notched or weakened at 41-.

The key stock is likewise extended into a-cover lifting handle 42 which,unlike the handle- 36. is hooked or curved as shown in Fig. 4-to.provide clearance between it and the floor of the channel 3'7. Thisclearance is for the thumb and forefinger when handling the cover after.theican has been opened and the cover has been detached.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of'the invention or sacrificing all of its material ad vantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. The combination of a container; sco'red'to provide a removable area,and an'integral member having a key part and a handle part andpermanently secured at its handle part to the top the entire. ke

Jpart from the rest of the container, said handle part being thenutilizable for removal of said ',,t.;3-:*The combination of a containerscored to provide an-encirclingtearing strip, and comprisuing afbodypart and-a cover part, said parts being inter engageable after. removalof the tearing strip to provide a reclosure, and an integral mem- "berhaving a key part and a handle part and permanently secured at itshandle part to said cover part; said member being frangible to permitsepiatratioriof the'key part for removalof the tearing strip; the handleI part being thereafter utilizable for the removal-of'the' cover part.'4. 'Ihe combination' of a"container scoredto provide an encirclingtearing strip,and comprising a body partand a cover'part, said'coverfittingwithinsaid' body part after'removal of the t'ear'ling'stripto provide a plug reclosure,-and'an integralmember having a key'part anda handle part and' permanentlysecured at its handle part tosaidcoverpart, said member being frangible topermit'separationof the keypart for removal of the tearing'strip, the handle part being-there afterutilizable for the removal of the cover part. "5;" I'he combination ofacontainer 'scoredto provide 'an encircling' tearing strip,-an integralmember having a key part and a handle part andprmanently'*s'ecuredat'its handle part to the top 'ofs'aid container,said member being frangible to"permit separation of the key part fromthehandle part for removing said tearing strip,-'a'nd said handle part andsaid'top of said container beingseparated beyond the point of attachmentof said handle part to said top of saidcontainer to facilitate grippingof the handle part for removal of' s aidtop. 6.-A fkey member foropening a'containerand releasing a coverp'art' therefrom, comprising ahead and-a stem providing a slotted shank and a handle part, said handlepart being adaptedto be securedto [said cover part, the stem beingweakenedbetween said shank and said handle part top'ermitbreaking awayof the shank'and head from saidhandle part for opening the container,said handle'part remaining as a-handle for lifting and replacing saidcover part. V

i JOHN M. YOUNG.

